13 Halloween Costumes for $25 and Under

If you want one of the best Halloween costumes at the party but have a strict budget to follow, then you're in luck. You don't always have to break the bank, because some of the spookiest—and funniest—outfits that Amazon, Target, and Walmart have to offer come with very reasonable price tags. Whether you want to look like a horror movie villain or are in the market for a funny Halloween costume, here’s your guide to hashtag tunics, elephant onesies, and other neat ensembles for frugal trick-or-treaters.

1. Pumpkin Slayer Costume; $16

VOGULO/Amazon

It’s fun to invent backstories for this black and orange getup. Is your character a pumpkin spice bandit? Could it be a jack-o'-lantern phantom seeking an audience with Linus van Pelt—or maybe Andrew Lloyd Webber? You tell us. A blend of polyester and spandex, the garb includes a mask, a hat, a cape and two long-fingered gloves.

3. Rubie's Pennywise Men’s Halloween Costume; $17

Rubie's

Tim Curry said that on the set of the 1990 It miniseries, his Pennywise makeup would take about three hours to apply in full. But now you can transform into Stephen King’s creepy clown in a fraction of the time. Throw on the mask, don the shirt, and get ready to terrorize the Loser’s Club. If you're just interested in the Pennywise mask, you can find it on Amazon.

4. Harry Potter Costume Robe; $25

Rubie's

Add a touch of wizardry to your Halloween festivities with this budget-friendly Harry Potter robe. Since the costume just contains the robe, you can customize your overall look however you’d like—perfect for finally bringing your dream wizard to life, if just for a night.

5. Statue of Liberty; $20

Rubie's

This costume lets you become the embodiment of Lady Liberty for less than $25 this Halloween. Containing both the statue’s iconic dress and crown, all you’ll need is a torch prop and your choice of book to finish off the ensemble.

6. Inflatable Sumo Wrestler; $25

TOLOCO/Amazon

Bulk up in no time with this inflatable sumo wrestler costume that takes just 60 seconds to inflate. It comes complete with a battery-operated fan and headpiece to top off the outfit. All you’ll need are some AA batteries, and you’ll be ready to waddle through any Halloween party.

7. Piggyback Monkey Ride-On Costume; $19.95

Costume Agent/Amazon

Here’s a costume that’s worth going ape over. Show up to your next party on the shoulders of a smiling mini-Kong and let the banana jokes begin. By the way, one of the lil’ creature’s hands is dutifully clasping a built-in cupholder. What a considerate primate.

8. Hashtag Adult Costume; $16

Forum Novelties/Amazon

A foam tunic with straps, this quirky costume slides easily over T-shirts and sweaters. And just like its social media counterpart, the outfit is bound to kick off some conversations. Who knows? If you play your cards right, you might even get featured on one of Jimmy Kimmel’s hashtag segments. Stranger things have happened.

9. “Caught in the Rain” Costume; $12

Rasta Imposta/Amazon

Here we have a three-piece prop ensemble worthy of Carrot Top or the Marx Brothers. With a slanted wig, an upturned necktie, and an inverted umbrella, this novelty costume is perfect for an Instagram shoot.

11. Cassette Tape Player Costume; $20

Karnival Costumes/Amazon

Calling all '80s kids: We found a Walkman that you can literally walk in. A yellow tunic designed to look like Star Lord’s music player of choice, the costume boasts a pair of oversized headphones. Plus, the manufacturer will send you a resealable bag so you can keep this Footloose-worthy throwback regalia nice and clean for future outings.

12. Vampire Cloak; $18

VGLOOK/Amazon

For those of you who want to have a simple, timeless Halloween look, this vampire cloak is the way to go. It shows just enough effort to be considered a costume, but not too much where you'll be washing off makeup for hours after or paying top dollar for something you'll only wear once. And if you still want to stay budget-friendly with a bit more humor involved, check out this Despicable Me-inspired Dracula costume that's still under $25.

13. Whoopee Cushion Adult Costume; $20

Forum Novelties/Amazon

What a gas. A large-scale polyester replica of every school-age prankster’s favorite accessory, this wearable whoopee cushion can accommodate pretty much anyone with a chest size of 44 inches or less. Flatulent sound effects not included.

This Smart Accessory Converts Your Instant Pot Into an Air Fryer

If you can make a recipe in a slow cooker, Dutch oven, or rice cooker, you can likely adapt it for an Instant Pot. Now, this all-in-one cooker can be converted into an air fryer with one handy accessory.

This Instant Pot air fryer lid—currently available on Amazon for $80—adds six new cooking functions to your 6-quart Instant Pot. You can select the air fry setting to get food hot and crispy fast, using as little as 2 tablespoons of oil. Other options include roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, and reheat.

Many dishes you would prepare in the oven or on the stovetop can be made in your Instant Pot when you switch out the lids. Chicken wings, French fries, and onion rings are just a few of the possibilities mentioned in the product description. And if you're used to frying being a hot, arduous process, this lid works without consuming a ton of energy or heating up your kitchen.

The lid comes with a multi-level air fry basket, a broiling and dehydrating tray, and a protective pad and storage cover. Check it out on Amazon.

For more clever ways to use your Instant Pot, take a look at these recipes.

At Mental Floss, we only write about the products we love and want to share with our readers, so all products are chosen independently by our editors. Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers and may receive a percentage of any sale made from the links on this page. Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of publication.

15 Products to Help You Stay Fit at Home

Staying healthy doesn’t have to mean spending $50 or more a month on a pricey gym membership or paying a small fortune on free weights and squat racks that will only collect dust in your garage. There are plenty of ways to get in better shape at home with the help of some simple resistance bands, a streaming yoga class subscription, or a wearable fitness tracker that keeps you accountable for your progress. Check out some of the best options below.

1. Waterproof Fitness Tracker; $23

Elite Fitness Products

This heart rate and blood pressure tracker monitors your steps, calories, and sleep cycles from your wrist, so you’ll never forget to keep up with your progress. Unlike some comparable devices, this one is waterproof, allowing you to track your stats during the messiest, muddiest activities.

2. Posture four-Piece Mini Gym and Strength Training Kit; $45

Swedish Posture

Posture’s set of resistance bands, telescope bar, and door hook can turn just a few square feet of your home into a mini-gym. The three pieces of equipment can be easily adjusted for leg, arm, and shoulder exercises, meaning the only real limit here is your own creativity.

3. Lifetime Subscription to Live Streaming Fitness; $79

Vadym Pastukh/iStock via Getty Images Plus

You can keep your body and mind engaged with a lifetime subscription to streamed fitness content, available anytime you're ready for a workout. You won’t be limited to a particular style, with offerings like yoga, cardio, strength training, and more. You’ll also be supported with cooking shows and recipe inspirations to round out your healthy lifestyle. All you need is the internet, and maybe a glass of water.

4. Fitterclub Personal Training; $14 (One-Year Membership)

LightFieldStudios/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Personalized fitness from home is possible, even without a trainer hovering over you at the gym. Fitterclub offers personalized workout and nutrition programs based on your unique answers to their questionnaire. They’ll take it from there and set up 30-minute workout plans five days a week, which you can access online anywhere, anytime. With the current price drop, you’ll spend less money on working out in one year than you do on one box of protein bars.

5. Iron Chest Master Fitness System; $97

Ron Williams Fitness

This exercise system works with the muscle and joint structure of your body to increase strength while you build chest, shoulders, triceps, upper back, and ab muscles. The equipment is simple to use, but it definitely won’t be easy on you.

6. Vortix Melo Massager; $100

Vortix

Stretching, resting, and even massaging muscles are all part of an effective workout. Get quick relief from muscle fatigue, soreness, spasms, and stiffness with this massage gun. It’s designed to be quiet on even the highest setting, and its goal is to increase blood flow and shorten muscle recovery time with vibration frequency and amplitude, making it the perfect home workout recovery companion.

If targeted, short-term plans fuel you, iBodyFit’s set of 400 online workouts and 40 diet plans might be a good fit. Pick a four-week fat burner, eight-week muscle tone, or 12-week beach body plan with ancillary diet goals and grocery lists for every choice. With lifetime access from anywhere, and support and feedback from iBodyFit’s trainers, you’ll always be equipped with a focused workout and goal.

9. Vitalis ITO Body Fat Scale; $29

Tenergy Life

You’ve heard that the scale is just a number and not to rely on it because the body is more complex than simple weight. This smart scale tracks BMI, body fat, bone and muscle mass, and even hydration to actually give you a full picture of health when you step onto it. The scale pairs with a free app to evaluate you as a gym trainer would.

10. Bandu Chair Workout System; $14

Viatek

If equipment is your barrier to entry for a home workout plan, you’ll be happy to hear that all you need is a chair with this Bandu set. You’ll get 50 different workouts with this set, and the best part is, you can see results with just eight minutes of use per day. With the lightweight equipment, easy set-up, and short time needed to see results, you can work out in a hotel room, at home, and even in your office—literally anywhere there’s a chair.

11. BandBoard Portable Home Workout Gym System; $130

Bandboard

Imagine this: four small materials that can produce over 300 exercises. This all-in-one portable gym system does just that with a few resistance bands that only require around 15 minutes for a solid workout.

12. Push-Up Machine: Home Exercise Equipment; $90

The Push Up Machine

If you’ve attempted a home workout, you’ve likely done an exercise incorrectly and suffered an awkward injury that leaves you scared to even try again. This system is built to put your body in the correct push-up position to properly work out your shoulders, chest, and core. And when you're done, it can easily slide under a bed until you're ready for your next workout.

14. Non-Slip Yoga and Pilates Towel and Bag; $23

It's All Good

Have you ever thought about how disgusting your yoga mat might be? This non-slip towel can be set on top of your mat during a workout and then tossed in the wash after for an always-clean mat to have you feeling good to your toned and clean-freak core.

15. Metalika Smart Watch with Health & Activity Tracker; $45

Electronic Avenue

In addition to playing music and sending you fitness tracking updates on demand, this wearable will also notify you whenever you get notifications from your non-fitness life, including social media updates and weather forecasts. Keep track of cumulative steps, sleep, blood pressure, and even oxygen levels, all from your wrist.

At Mental Floss, we only write about the products we love and want to share with our readers, so all products are chosen independently by our editors. Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers and may receive a percentage of any sale made from the links on this page. Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of publication.